Company Withdraws TB Vaccine From the Market in Britain

From CDC National Prevention Information Network

August 12, 2002

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PowderJect Pharmaceuticals PLC said Friday it is withdrawing its TB vaccine from the market in Europe as a precautionary measure. The company said it made its move regarding the BCG vaccine, which is used in schools, after being notified of an
interim suspension of its license for the vaccine in Ireland. This followed testing that found a small number of batches did not met the end-of-shelf-life specification, the company said in a statement. PowderJect said it had consulted independent experts who said the vaccine should still be effective despite the
potential reduced potency. Initial results of testing received by Britain's Department of Health had raised a number of concerns about the potency of the vaccine that had been discussed in detail with the company, the department said. "At this stage, there is no need to recall people for revaccination, but the situation is being kept under review," said a department spokesperson.

A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!

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